Contract rejection

[fergus51]

So, the nurses here in BC have voted over 90% to reject the latest contract offer. In it the highest paid nurses would make 32$ an hour (about 22$ american). That's the highest paid nurses. I think that could never keep nurses from going to the relatively lucrative jobs in the US. Do you think this is a good offer? How would you explain to the general public why you deserve more money? One nurse was verbally harassed in a grocery store for being so selfish as to want a decent wage.

ps

We have had an overtime ban in effect for over a month and THOUSANDS of surgeries have been cancelled. Doesn't this tell people something about how bad the shortage has become here? Nurses are still working full time, but the system is crippled because they aren't coming in on their days off. This is why recruitment and retention is my primary concern.

[-jt]

If the pay & compensation is not attractive, you will not be able to recruit or retain staff. I think it was Alberta that increased its nurses salaries by 22% recently & had a massive amount of nurses coming out of the woodwork, signing up for refresher courses & running back to the job.

You dont have to defend insisting on being paid a salary reflective of your value & responsibility to the facility & its pts.

You need a public awareness campaign to educate those citizens.

[fergus51]

OUr offer would make us better paid than Alberta nurses within three years, so the public thinks we are greedy in asking for more money. The problem is our cost of living is WAY higher than in Alberta and our need for nurses is greater. The press has also failed to point out other problems with the contract like eliminating designated days off for part timers and making the call in of casual workers no longer based on seniority. (So they can call in the new nurses who are way cheaper). I just wonder how I can make people understand why we deserve better.

[-jt]

Ask them what they think their life is worth.

Explain that if salaries are not competitive, nurses will go to Alberta or the states & then who will be caring for them??? Tell them you are not willing to subject them to unsafe staffing practices that leave their nurses & them at risk - even if they are. Economic incentivess is a neccesary component to recruit & keep nurses working at the bedside. The job is difficult & nurses can choose other easier type of nursing. The dangerous & labor-intensive job of the bedside nurse has to be made more attractive & worth their while if there is going to be any of hope of having nurses there.